A widespread outbreak of avian influenza in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has heavily affected the area’s chickens and, subsequently, triggered a surge in seafood demand.
Around 500,000 chickens raised for egg production have died in the East Godavari, Eluru, and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh since 13 January, when the first deaths were reported, Times of India said on 11 February.
In an effort to identify the cause of the mass chicken deaths, a local research institute tested samples from dead fowls at a poultry farm in an affected area of East Godavari, confirming the presence of avian influenza (H5N1).
As a result, more than 75 percent of birds and eggs from poultry farms in the Kanuru region of East Godavari, which has been particularly affected, have been culled and buried, and officials have been instructed to shut down all chicken shops in the affected zone.
Meanwhile, health officials have been deployed to screen residents within a 10-kilometer radius of Kanuru, which has been declared a surveillance zone, District Medical and Health Officer Venkateswara Rao told Times of India.
All of this has led to sales and prices of chicken falling sharply as consumers have shifted away from poultry.
The price of chicken has dropped nearly 40 percent, contracting to INR 170 (USD 1.96, EUR 1.88) per kilogram, down from INR 280 (USD 3.22, EUR 3.09) per kilogram on 2 February. Despite the price reduction, Times of India reported that consumers continue to be reluctant to purchase chicken.
Meanwhile, demand for seafood, being a protein alternative to chicken, has increased among many consumers. Specifically, demand for seer, rohu, tuna, white pomfret, prawns, and crabs has surged...
